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- May 17, 2006
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Koyote Knives
Thin knives are back
Davis California, Christof Harper of Koyote Knives is bringing back thin rustic hand forged knives from the early days. After an honorable discharge from the military, Christof started repairing and modifying knives. Building kit knives eventually led to custom knife making. When you want a knife that either you can’t afford or isn’t out there, you make one.
I first noticed the pocket Nessmuk from Koyote Knives a few months ago. It had Osage orange scales and a blade made from 15n20 steel. Thickness was 3/32” thick, 3-inch blade and 6 1/4 overall. The handle was put together with hand peened rivets and had a tabasco patina. Well months later I’ve had the chance and privilege of handling some Koyotes.
Bandsaw Steel-Uddeholm 15n20 .75% C, 2% Ni – nickel steel roughly similar to L6, minus the chrome and Molybdenum.
Ultralight
Blade
Koyote blades are made to cut, whittle, and slice food, isn’t that what knives are made for? This model has a blade 1/16-inch-thick. If you think this is thin, you are right. Let’s think about this for a moment, what do we need a knife to do in a hiking or backpacking situation? It is important to know and recognize that backpacking is not surviving. First of all you will be carrying your shelter with you .Most likely some firestarting material for emergencies. Most places I backpack into don’t even allow fires so the need for chopping and battoning wood are pretty much out. When backpacking, I like to have a utility type blade that can be used for cutting any kind of cord I may have, this could be for bear bagging, or cutting off a length for someone else to use. I use a tarp while out enjoying the outdoors and find myself cuttling different lengths of Ultralight Spectra line for backpacking tarp guylines. Slicing open food packages and any food preparation are also very common tasks that require a knife. For me if I could whittle wood and carve trap triggers then I feel pretty safe backpacking with a knife this thin. The Ultralight has blade length of 3 5/8, cutting edge 3 7/16. Overall length is 7-inches. The grind is flat with a scandi edge. The weight, a mere 2 ounces for the knife, and 3 ½ ounces w/leather sheath.
I carried the Ultralight on a few dayhikes this past month in the mountains of southern California.
Handle
The handle features hand peened rivets and although you could feel them, they are smooth and nicely rounded. This may be a good place for a kydex sheath to catch onto if you desired kydex. I like the leather sheath if comes with, it is more of a slip sheath for your pocket. There is a length of leather attached to the sheath, sort of a throw back to the Scandinavian style dangler sheaths. This is very simple, a loop made of leather that I passed through my paracord belt while on a long dayhike. The weight of the Ultralight, or should I say, lack of, makes for an easy carry knife. The sheath can be slipped into your pocket while hanging from your belt.
1/16-inch spine
Wood work with the Ultralight is fun; it feels like, peeling carrots. Scandi edges slice through wood rather than scrape it crudely. A blade this thin with a scandi edge will whittle wood all day. Push cuts could be a little annoying when you are using your thumb on the spine, cutting tough material. A sharp thin knife will cut through with less resistance reducing the time and effort needed to cut through the tough stuff.
Leuku Bushcraft Knife
There really is a Scandinavian flavor to some of Christofs work. The Leuku Bushcrafter seems to be a fine example of this. Straight spine with a gentle contour of the handle makes this model very comfortable not just to the eye, but the user’s hand. The overall blade length is 3 7/8-inches with a cutting edge of 3 3/4 –inches. Overall, 7 ¾-inches, with a 3/32-inch thick spine.
IPÊ Handle
IPÊ is an environmentally responsible choice which naturally resists rot, decay, insects, and mold. It is naturally fire resistant. Additionally, IPÊ is an incredibly strong, dense wood, harvested from naturally sustainable forests only. It has very high wear durability in daily use, and is resistant to splintering and checking. It's also beautiful! Weather has little to no effect upon the structural integrity of IPÊ wood. The sun will eventually transform the wood from its original reddish-brown to a beautiful silver patina.
Tests
Paper cuts
This test is perfect to measure how sharp an edge really is right out of the box. Printer paper was used for this test. I just held out the paper freely in the air and started slicing. I used straight down strokes and sideways strokes. There wasn’t any resistance and the edge stayed sharp. Next I did some short quick chops and watched as the white slivers of paper rained down on my desk.
Fuzz Sticks
Making fuzz sticks with the Bushcrafter, this is where the benefits of a thin knife really come to light. It’s no mystery woodcraft with a thick blade is just like golfing with a baseball bat. No real control or finesse, just power. Thin blades excel in the bushcraft game without a doubt. Fuzz sticks done with a thin convex blade give you that curly porkey pig tail look. Whenever I am reminded of Looney Tunes characters while enjoying woodcraft, I know I picked the right knife.
When using the Leuku Bushcrafter I never feel any discomfort or hot spots. Everything on Christof’s knives is smooth and the handle really is one of those things that need to be.
Thin knives are back
Davis California, Christof Harper of Koyote Knives is bringing back thin rustic hand forged knives from the early days. After an honorable discharge from the military, Christof started repairing and modifying knives. Building kit knives eventually led to custom knife making. When you want a knife that either you can’t afford or isn’t out there, you make one.
I first noticed the pocket Nessmuk from Koyote Knives a few months ago. It had Osage orange scales and a blade made from 15n20 steel. Thickness was 3/32” thick, 3-inch blade and 6 1/4 overall. The handle was put together with hand peened rivets and had a tabasco patina. Well months later I’ve had the chance and privilege of handling some Koyotes.
Bandsaw Steel-Uddeholm 15n20 .75% C, 2% Ni – nickel steel roughly similar to L6, minus the chrome and Molybdenum.
Ultralight
Blade
Koyote blades are made to cut, whittle, and slice food, isn’t that what knives are made for? This model has a blade 1/16-inch-thick. If you think this is thin, you are right. Let’s think about this for a moment, what do we need a knife to do in a hiking or backpacking situation? It is important to know and recognize that backpacking is not surviving. First of all you will be carrying your shelter with you .Most likely some firestarting material for emergencies. Most places I backpack into don’t even allow fires so the need for chopping and battoning wood are pretty much out. When backpacking, I like to have a utility type blade that can be used for cutting any kind of cord I may have, this could be for bear bagging, or cutting off a length for someone else to use. I use a tarp while out enjoying the outdoors and find myself cuttling different lengths of Ultralight Spectra line for backpacking tarp guylines. Slicing open food packages and any food preparation are also very common tasks that require a knife. For me if I could whittle wood and carve trap triggers then I feel pretty safe backpacking with a knife this thin. The Ultralight has blade length of 3 5/8, cutting edge 3 7/16. Overall length is 7-inches. The grind is flat with a scandi edge. The weight, a mere 2 ounces for the knife, and 3 ½ ounces w/leather sheath.
I carried the Ultralight on a few dayhikes this past month in the mountains of southern California.
Handle
The handle features hand peened rivets and although you could feel them, they are smooth and nicely rounded. This may be a good place for a kydex sheath to catch onto if you desired kydex. I like the leather sheath if comes with, it is more of a slip sheath for your pocket. There is a length of leather attached to the sheath, sort of a throw back to the Scandinavian style dangler sheaths. This is very simple, a loop made of leather that I passed through my paracord belt while on a long dayhike. The weight of the Ultralight, or should I say, lack of, makes for an easy carry knife. The sheath can be slipped into your pocket while hanging from your belt.
1/16-inch spine
Wood work with the Ultralight is fun; it feels like, peeling carrots. Scandi edges slice through wood rather than scrape it crudely. A blade this thin with a scandi edge will whittle wood all day. Push cuts could be a little annoying when you are using your thumb on the spine, cutting tough material. A sharp thin knife will cut through with less resistance reducing the time and effort needed to cut through the tough stuff.
Leuku Bushcraft Knife
There really is a Scandinavian flavor to some of Christofs work. The Leuku Bushcrafter seems to be a fine example of this. Straight spine with a gentle contour of the handle makes this model very comfortable not just to the eye, but the user’s hand. The overall blade length is 3 7/8-inches with a cutting edge of 3 3/4 –inches. Overall, 7 ¾-inches, with a 3/32-inch thick spine.
IPÊ Handle
IPÊ is an environmentally responsible choice which naturally resists rot, decay, insects, and mold. It is naturally fire resistant. Additionally, IPÊ is an incredibly strong, dense wood, harvested from naturally sustainable forests only. It has very high wear durability in daily use, and is resistant to splintering and checking. It's also beautiful! Weather has little to no effect upon the structural integrity of IPÊ wood. The sun will eventually transform the wood from its original reddish-brown to a beautiful silver patina.
Tests
Paper cuts
This test is perfect to measure how sharp an edge really is right out of the box. Printer paper was used for this test. I just held out the paper freely in the air and started slicing. I used straight down strokes and sideways strokes. There wasn’t any resistance and the edge stayed sharp. Next I did some short quick chops and watched as the white slivers of paper rained down on my desk.
Fuzz Sticks
Making fuzz sticks with the Bushcrafter, this is where the benefits of a thin knife really come to light. It’s no mystery woodcraft with a thick blade is just like golfing with a baseball bat. No real control or finesse, just power. Thin blades excel in the bushcraft game without a doubt. Fuzz sticks done with a thin convex blade give you that curly porkey pig tail look. Whenever I am reminded of Looney Tunes characters while enjoying woodcraft, I know I picked the right knife.
When using the Leuku Bushcrafter I never feel any discomfort or hot spots. Everything on Christof’s knives is smooth and the handle really is one of those things that need to be.
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i also have a few of his smaller blades... definately top notch work...:thumbup::thumbup:
